Whitewater_Adventure's Blog

Here are today's flow numbers...

Arkansas Arkansas River Brown's Canyon III Salida, CO Arkansas Near Nathrop 1580 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Granite & Pine Creek IV+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 1350 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Pinnacle Rock III+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 1720 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Royal Gorge IV Canon City, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 1720 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Salida III Salida, CO Arkansas River At Salida 1540 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River The Numbers IV Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 1350 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Glenwood Play Park III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado River Below Glenwood Springs, Co. 5760 cfs

 Colorado Colorado River Gore Canyon V- Kremmling, CO Colorado Near Kremmling 1670 cfs

 Colorado Colorado River Grizzly to New Castle II+ Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 2800 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Shoshone III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 2800 cfs

Roaring Fork Roaring Fork River Slaughterhouse IV+ Aspen, CO Roaring Fork Below Maroon Ck 905 cfs

South Platte Clear Creek Dumont IV Golden, CO Clear Creek Near Lawson 398 cfs

As the moderator for this blog, I've had the opportunity to raft some of the best rivers in Colorado. Just like any rafter should do, I started out on Class III trips and eventually worked myself up the ladder, and started rafting Class IV whitewater. Well this weekend, I had my first Class V experience. Two words: Holy Crap. I mean, seriously. I'm addicted. Before jumping on the river, outfitters make you sign waivers. You know, the waivers that say it's your fault if you die. Never in the waiver does it say, you'll become a total river rat. Rafting is so much fun that I've actually thought about quitting my job and becoming a raft guide. Ok, so maybe I'm halfway joking on this. To become a raft guide, I think it's a requirement to stop shaving your armpits and become a true mountain woman. I'm not sure I can do that.

But anyhow, putting all joking beside, I would like to tell you about my weekend. On Saturday, I rafted the Pine Creek section of the Arkansas River and on Sunday, I did the Numbers section. When I got to River Runners' facility, the river was flowing around 1250 cfs or so. Because the level had finally dropped, this was the first day the outfitter ran a commercial trip through Pine Creek all year. I was so pumped. I've heard a lot of great things about Pine Creek. It's supposedly the hardest stretch on the Arkansas River. And I was ready to take it on. We put-in in this tiny little town called Granite. It's about 16 miles north or Buena Vista, along Highway 24. The first couple of rapids we hit were Class III rapids. One was called Granite and the other was called Maytag. Both were relatively calm. I say this because I knew it was going to get much harder.

The good thing about these two rapids, they are great warm-ups. I hate getting on a river and your first big rapid being a Class V rapid. If you're going to raft Class V whitewater, you totally need to warm up first. Not to mention, that gives you some time to get to know the other people in your boat. Because you are working as a team, remember? A couple of miles later, we came to a rapid called Granite Dam. Hence the name, this rapid was once the area of a damn. Now it's a bunch of debris blocking the river. And because of this, we have to get out and walk the boat around the damn. The debris is sharp and can do a lot of damage to a raft. Our next rapid was a Class IV rapid, called Hopscotch. This rapid was a lot of fun, because it was pretty technical. I think it's called Hopscotch, because you're constantly moving from one side of the river to the other, to avoid rocks. Almost like a game of hopscotch. Except when I played hopscotch as a kid, I didn't have to avoid rocks. You get my point. A couple of miles down the river, we came to Pine Creek rapid, the rapid that makes this trip a Class V trip. While we were on the river, the level rose to about 1350 cfs. And because of this, we had to walk around Pine Creek rapid.

This rapid is usually not rafted when it's flowing above 1200 cfs.  You ask why? Take a look.

At 1350 cfs, this, my friends, is a section of Class VI whitewater. This is water that should not be rafted. Class VI comes with some major consequences. And trust me, I don't want to take the chance of swimming in a Class VI rapid. Too much for me. This section is very narrow. Take a look at the picture above. That's where we put back in, right next to a gigantic hole. It didn't look too bad when you're standing above it looking down on it. But once I got to the river bank, where all the people are standing in the picture, I got the picture. This hole was huge and the last thing you want, is your raft going into the hole. If it does, your flipping...no if, and or buts about it. I have to admit, it was a pretty scary place to jump back on the river. During this time, I said to the guide "I'm really nervous. Are you?"  He replied back, "I'm very nervous." I totally trusted we would make it through the rapid just fine. Two other boats put-in before we jumped on the river. Immediately, I saw three people fall out of their raft. Thankfully, they got right back in, and didn't have to swim the rapid. We put our boat in here, because right below was another rapid called Triple Falls or Three Sisters Rapid. We did not scout this rapid, so I had no idea what I was getting into. I was still too worried about the monster hole, right next to our raft. Obviously, by my pictures, where we put-in was some major whitewater. Triple Fllas was the best rapid I've done all year. It was very technical and there was lots of big water, big holes and big waves. Our crew did awesome in this rapid. It was a blast. I remember at one point, yelling because I was having so much fun. After pine creek and triple falls, the water was calm for a couple of miles. During this section, is the put-in spot for the Numbers section. That's where I started on my second day. Then it was time to raft the Numbers. Fortunately, both of my trips Saturday & Sunday included the Numbers section. And both days were different. I have to say my second day on the Numbers was the best. That's because the river was flowing above 1400 cfs, and the holes and waves were big.

Just like Pine Creek, the Numbers section starts off pretty mellow. I was told they call this section the numbers, because there are too many rapids to name, so they number them. Rapids #1, #2 and #3 are great warm-up rapids. All three were Class IV rapids and a lot of fun. What makes the Numbers section so great, is that you're combining technicality with big water. There are some runs I've done, where it was mainly technical, and the water wasn't as big as I would have liked. Rapid #4 rocked! This is a really long rapid and it's big water all the way through. It's a Class IV rapid, sometimes Class V rapid. I think it was Class IV on my first day and Class V on my second day. I could tell a difference. It seemed a little meaner. Rapid #4 is also where they take your picture.

After #4, obviously, there's #5. I think #5 is the hardest in the entire section. That's because it's very technical. This rapid was a Class V rapid both days. There is no room for mistakes. You have to manuever from one side of the river to the other side of the river. If you don't, it's not good. The water is flowing really fast and it will eat you. This is also a place you definitely don't want to swim. There's a pretty big drop in this rapid, too. And both times, it surprised me. I was concentrating so much on paddling hard, that I didn't realize what was coming up. The second day, our raft hit the drop sideways. My adrenaline was definitely flowing, because I was on the side of the raft that hit first. It was awesome though. #6 Rapid was cool, too. I think this rapid has the biggest waves. When I rafted it the second day, I remember looking down and seeing our boat completely filled with water. I also remember getting slapped a few times with waves. But honestly, big waves are my favorite. And when I am sitting in the front of the raft, which I was, it's even better. Rapid #7 was cool, too. This is the last rapid of the Numbers section. On the first day, our take out point was after Rapid #7. On the second day, it's where we stopped for lunch.

Once getting back on the river, there's a rapid called Miracle Mile. I think it's a class III rapid. It's a very long rapid, but it's not too complicated. It's also very shallow in this area. So you're constantly making your way around rocks. There are a couple more Class III rapids, before you hit a section of the river they call the Narrows. In the narrows, there are a couple of different spots where you have to make a tight squeeze. The first is called Narrows falls. The second is called House Rock. This rapid was fun, because it seems like you're going to hit House Rock head-on. I seriously thought we were going to hit the rock, but the raft went along with the water moving around it. After the rock, there's a pretty big drop. Also in this section, you raft through Buena Vista's playpark. We attempted to do a little surfing in this section, but was unsucessful. It was a little flushed out, and the rapid woudn't hold our boat long. Hey, we tried. My favorite rapid in the narrows section is called Beaver Falls. Beaver Falls was an old damn that was blown up. During this rapid, we had to get inside our boat and hold on tight, because there's a 10-foot drop. I love big drops. Then after the drop, there are some pretty big waves you have to paddle hard through. This rapid was a lot of fun. It's a Class III, sometimes Class IV rapid. On Sunday, I think it was probably a Class IV rapid. There are a couple of more Class III rapids on this run that made for a great cooldown. Shortly after, my second day of rafting came to an end.

I have to say last weekend was my best weekend of rafting. Two Class V trips, what more could I ask for? I think these two sections are perfect for someone wanting a good challenge and an adrenaline rush, because that's exactly what you'll get. I highly suggest trying it out. I want to warn though, this section is not for beginners. You have to have prior rafting experience, to raft these runs.

Run: Pine Creek-Full Day                                 

Departure Time: 10 a.m                                   

Trip Length: 6 Hours (Lunch Included)          

Price: $115

Guide: Mitch        

Run: The Numbers-Full Day

Departure Time: 9:30 a.m.

Trips Length: 6 Hours (Lunch Included)

Price: $96

Guide: Josh

Company: River Runners

                    (888) 723-8923

                    www.whitewater.net

Arkansas Arkansas River Brown's Canyon III Salida, CO Arkansas Near Nathrop 1760 cfs

 Arkansas Arkansas River Granite & Pine Creek IV+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 1440 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Pinnacle Rock III+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 1740 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Royal Gorge IV Canon City, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 1740 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Salida III Salida, CO Arkansas River At Salida 1590 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River The Numbers IV Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 1440 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Glenwood Play Park III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado River Below Glenwood Springs, Co. 6360 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Gore Canyon V- Kremmling, CO Colorado Near Kremmling 1920 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Grizzly to New Castle II+ Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 3230 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Shoshone III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 3230 cfs

Roaring Fork Roaring Fork River Slaughterhouse IV+ Aspen, CO Roaring Fork Below Maroon Ck 932 cfs

South Platte Clear Creek Dumont IV Golden, CO Clear Creek Near Lawson 395 cfs

Here are today's flow numbers:

Arkansas Arkansas River Brown's Canyon III Salida, CO Arkansas Near Nathrop 1590 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Granite & Pine Creek IV+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 1270 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Pinnacle Rock III+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 1700 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Royal Gorge IV Canon City, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 1700 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Salida III Salida, CO Arkansas River At Salida 1460 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River The Numbers IV Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 1270 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Glenwood Play Park III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado River Below Glenwood Springs, Co. 6890 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Gore Canyon V- Kremmling, CO Colorado Near Kremmling 2010 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Grizzly to New Castle II+ Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 3550 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Shoshone III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 3550 cfs

Roaring Fork Roaring Fork River Slaughterhouse IV+ Aspen, CO Roaring Fork Below Maroon Ck 1270 cfs

South Platte Clear Creek Dumont IV Golden, CO Clear Creek Near Lawson 408 cfs

Good morning! What a crazy weekend it was. I rafted both the Pine Creek & Numbers sections of the Arkansas River. It was so much fun and very intense at times. I can't wait to write about it. Expect those write-ups this week, as well as a write up from my private trip through the Gorge last Wednesday. The levels on the Arkansas River keep fluctuating a bit. But it looks like they're right in the middle of things. Take a look:

Arkansas Arkansas River Brown's Canyon III Salida, CO Arkansas Near Nathrop 1660 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Granite & Pine Creek IV+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 1330 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Pinnacle Rock III+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 1690 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Royal Gorge IV Canon City, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 1690 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Salida III Salida, CO Arkansas River At Salida 1520 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River The Numbers IV Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 1330 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Glenwood Play Park III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado River Below Glenwood Springs, Co. 7450 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Gore Canyon V- Kremmling, CO Colorado Near Kremmling 2400 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Grizzly to New Castle II+ Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 3970 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Shoshone III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 3970 cfs

Roaring Fork Roaring Fork River Slaughterhouse IV+ Aspen, CO Roaring Fork Below Maroon Ck 1300 cfs

South Platte Clear Creek Dumont IV Golden, CO Clear Creek Near Lawson 430 cfs

I have a couple of great trips planned for the weekend. Tomorrow, I'll be doing Cross Mountain on the Yampa River. Then on Sunday, I'm doing the Numbers section of the Arkansas River. I have a feeling I'll be coming back with some stories to tell. And you're gonna hear all about them! Until then, here's a look at today's flow numbers:

Arkansas Arkansas River Brown's Canyon III Salida, CO Arkansas Near Nathrop 1730 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Granite & Pine Creek IV+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 1390 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Pinnacle Rock III+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 1800 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Royal Gorge IV Canon City, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 1800 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Salida III Salida, CO Arkansas River At Salida 1600 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River The Numbers IV Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 1390 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Glenwood Play Park III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado River Below Glenwood Springs, Co. 8770 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Gore Canyon V- Kremmling, CO Colorado Near Kremmling 2480 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Grizzly to New Castle II+ Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 4860 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Shoshone III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 4860 cfs

Roaring Fork Roaring Fork River Slaughterhouse IV+ Aspen, CO Roaring Fork Below Maroon Ck 1440 cfs

South Platte Clear Creek Dumont IV Golden, CO Clear Creek Near Lawson 484 cfs

I did a private trip on the Royal Gorge yesterday. Holy crap! I can't wait to tell you about it. Stay tuned!

Here are today's flow numbers:

Arkansas Arkansas River Brown's Canyon III Salida, CO Arkansas Near Nathrop 1880 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Granite & Pine Creek IV+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 1470 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Pinnacle Rock III+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 2010 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Royal Gorge IV Canon City, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 2010 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Salida III Salida, CO Arkansas River At Salida 1780 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River The Numbers IV Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 1470 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Glenwood Play Park III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado River Below Glenwood Springs, Co. 9300 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Gore Canyon V- Kremmling, CO Colorado Near Kremmling 2950 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Grizzly to New Castle II+ Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 5270 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Shoshone III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 5270 cfs

Roaring Fork Roaring Fork River Slaughterhouse IV+ Aspen, CO Roaring Fork Below Maroon Ck 1490 cfs

South Platte Clear Creek Dumont IV Golden, CO Clear Creek Near Lawson 487 cfs

Here are today's flow numbers:

Arkansas Arkansas River Brown's Canyon III Salida, CO Arkansas Near Nathrop 2280 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Granite & Pine Creek IV+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 1880 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Pinnacle Rock III+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 2780 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Royal Gorge IV Canon City, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 2780 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Salida III Salida, CO Arkansas River At Salida 2110 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River The Numbers IV Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 1880 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Glenwood Play Park III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado River Below Glenwood Springs, Co. 9940 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Gore Canyon V- Kremmling, CO Colorado Near Kremmling 3200 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Grizzly to New Castle II+ Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 5910 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Shoshone III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 5910 cfs

Roaring Fork Roaring Fork River Slaughterhouse IV+ Aspen, CO Roaring Fork Below Maroon Ck 1530 cfs

South Platte Clear Creek Dumont IV Golden, CO Clear Creek Near Lawson 533 cfs

Here are some things for you guys to look forward to. I did a trip on the Eagle River last weekend, through Dowd Chute. I will be blogging about that experience by the end of the week. And tonight, I will finally be doing my first run through the Royal Gorge. The Arkansas River is still flowing fairly high, so it should be some fun stuff. I can't wait to tell you guys about it. I still haven't decided what I will be doing this weekend. I am thinking about possibly doing a run through Cross Mountain, or a run through the Numbers section of the Arkansas River. As soon as I know for sure, I will let you guys know.  Have a great day!

Here are today's flow numbers and it looks like they're going down quick. So get out there and enjoy the whitewater while you can!

Arkansas Arkansas River Brown's Canyon III Salida, CO Arkansas Near Nathrop 2500 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Granite & Pine Creek IV+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 2250 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Pinnacle Rock III+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 2810 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Royal Gorge IV Canon City, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 2810 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Salida III Salida, CO Arkansas River At Salida 2360 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River The Numbers IV Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 2250 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Glenwood Play Park III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado River Below Glenwood Springs, Co. 10800 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Gore Canyon V- Kremmling, CO Colorado Near Kremmling 3230 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Grizzly to New Castle II+ Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 6220 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Shoshone III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 6220 cfs

Roaring Fork Roaring Fork River Slaughterhouse IV+ Aspen, CO Roaring Fork Below Maroon Ck 1610 cfs

South Platte Clear Creek Dumont IV Golden, CO Clear Creek Near Lawson 554 cfs

Last week, I had the opportunity to go on a 4-day trip with the folks of Adventure Bound USA. The company’s owner contacted me a few weeks back and said "You have to try one of our trips." How could I resist? So I put aside some time, and made the decision to go. I was a little nervous, because I was going on a 4-day trip alone, without knowing anyone. But it was a chance I was willing to take, all in the name of research, right? I had no idea what kind of people was going to be on the trip. I packed up my bags on a Friday afternoon, and headed to Steamboat Springs, the meeting spot.

Day 1

The plan was to meet at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, and leave from Steamboat and drive 3 hours west, to the Gates of Lodore, our put-in spot. The staff was very helpful. Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing. I had to pack all of my belongings in a dry pack. Before this trip, I had never even used a dry pack before. All my trips that I had done were no more than 1-day. I immediately connected with one family, who actually ended up being the family of one of the raft guides. After talking briefly with them, and explaining why I was on the trip, they accepted me into their circle. I totally felt like one of the cool kids. After everyone finished packing, we hopped into the van and headed west. I had never seen northwestern Colorado before. The mountains disappeared and everything looked very dry. We made a couple of stops along the way. Within a couple of hours, we were to our destination, the fabulous Gates of Lodore. It was beautiful. The walls were huge!

When we arrived, the raft guides were waiting on us. We immediately got to work. They hooked us up with life jackets and helmets and went through the safety speech. At that time, everyone in the group had to make the decision whether they wanted to sit on a raft or ducky down the river(yes I'm using "ducky" as a verb). For those of you who don’t know the term "ducky". It’s basically a one or two person raft, also known as an inflatable kayak. I had never done it before, but I was ready to give it a try. I partnered up with a girl named Meagan, who also never duckied before. Now it was time to hit the river. Now get this, in order to ducky, you had to flip the ducky and get back into it without anyone’s help. I was terrified. I knew I couldn’t get back into a raft on my own, so I was worried I was going to have the same issue with the ducky. We weren’t on the river but 10 minutes, before we had to prove we could do it. Thankfully, I had no problems, other than looking like a beached whale. Everyone passed the test.

For most of the morning, we rafted calm waters, before stopping for lunch. By the way, all of the meals on the trip were awesome. After a quick lunch, we jumped back on the river. As the day went along, the river got wilder. Our first rapid was called Disaster Falls. We stopped and scouted the rapid before doing it. After taking a look at it, I decided maybe I should sit this one out. The rapid was very technical. It was very important to be able to maneuver between rocks, because there were a lot of them. In a ducky, the last thing you want to do is hit a rock. So they deflated my ducky, and I hopped in a raft. The rapid seemed like a piece of cake, in a raft. That’s because they rafts are huge, and packed with everyone’s things.

After Disaster Falls, we weren’t too far from our campsite. We camped at an area, called Pot Creek. It was a nice little area, with a good beach and lots of room. We all set up our tents and relaxed a bit.

The crew prepared our dinner and we sat around the campfire, drank adult beverages and we all got to know each other. I couldn’t have asked for a better day. By the time 9:30 rolled around, it was time for me to go to bed. I was exhausted. We rafted 8.5 miles.

Day 2

On the second day, we all woke up to a nicely prepared breakfast, pancakes and bacon. Yum! This day was our shortest day of the trip. We were only going to raft about 5 miles or so, but we were going to encounter a lot more rapids. There were three rapids we scouted; Harp Falls, Triplet Falls & Hell’s Half Mile. On each rapid, I chose to sit in a raft. I wasn’t confident enough to ducky the rapid. I am pretty confident I could have done them, but I was too much of a wimp. Just like the rapid the day before, these rapids were also very technical. There were a lot of rocks, and you had to be able to turn quickly.

Hell’s Half Mile was the biggest rapid of them all. When we came up on it, a raft from another company was stuck on a rock. I had the pleasure of watching them pull the raft off the rock. I just wish I could have seen it when they got stuck. Hehe. Anyhow, Hell’s Half Mile also had a few pour-overs, which you want to avoid. I decided to get on the first boat that was going through the rapid, that way I could see all of the other rafts and duckies come through. Everyone made it through the rapid just fine. A couple of the duckies, however, went over the pour-overs, the one place they needed to avoid. But all was well and the adrenaline was high. After Hell’s Half Mile, it was time to head to our campsite, called Rippling Brook. This campsite was awesome. It had a perfect swimming hole. As we set up our tents, our raft guides put together a few duckies and made us the coolest obstacle course. The duckies were turned upside down, and the trick was to run across them as far as you could, without falling. Let’s just say I didn’t make it past ducky #2. But it sure was fun trying. Several of the campers joined in on the fun. Even the raft guides did it. After eating lunch, we went for a hike. If you ever do this trip, my recommendation…WEAR GOOD SHOES. It’s a fairly steep hike, up to a small waterfall. The waterfall was refreshing for those who decided to get underneath it. I, on the other hand, wanted to stay dry. On the hike back down to camp, I took a pretty good tumble and scraped up my arm. That, my friends, is why I recommend good shoes. Once we got back down to camp, it was time for dinner. The crew prepared a great meal, and I enjoyed another beautiful night around the campfire. This night, I stayed up late and got to know the crew a little better. They were awesome. We stayed up until about 1:00 a.m. and I got my butt beat at horseshoes, by one of the raft guides.

Day 3

I woke up very tired and it was an early morning. Breakfast was awesome. We all packed up and got on the river. On this day, I decided to ducky alone. I loved it. When you’re in a ducky by yourself, it’s a lot easier to control. It’s a lot more responsive. I duckied the entire day. We started the morning off with a few easy rapids. It wasn’t long until we hit very calm water. This was the point of our trip, when we noticed the surroundings started to change, from red cliffs to limestone. The water also changed. That’s because the Yampa and Green Rivers combine. On the last couple of days, the river was an amazing green color; I am assuming that’s why it’s called the Green River. When it joins the Yampa, it turns Brown, because of mud. All of the water from the Yampa comes from snowmelt. Water in the Green River is released from The Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Right where the Yampa joins the Green, there’s a huge wall, in an area called Echo Canyon. It’s called Echo Canyon, because you can yell and hear your echo up to a dozen times. And we definitely tested it out. Echo Canyon then turns into Whirlpool Canyon. They call it this, because the water is moving in so many different directions. That's where we stopped for a quick lunch. Once we got back on the river, we only had 3 miles until our campsite. On the way, we encountered a couple of rapids. They were small, but had some good waves with them. We also crossed over into Utah. Our campsite was called Jones Creek. That’s because there’s a creek that flows straight into the Green River. We put up our tents, and then took a long hike along the creek. The hike, roundtrip was 4 miles. And once again, I was wishing I had brought better shoes. The hike is not strenuous. It takes you alongside Jones Creek, to a waterfall called "Butt plug falls."(That’s seriously what they call it.) They call it this, because you’re able to plug it with your bottom. And when you unplug it, the water will douse the person standing underneath it. It is really cool. Also nearby, you can hike to an area and see pictographs and petro glyphs left behind by the Fremont Indians. It’s pretty cool. And on the way back to camp, there’s an area in Jones Creek called the Jacuzzi. It’s a place in the creek you can get in and soak your feet. When we got back to the campsite, there was plenty of time to clean-up while the crew prepared our final dinner, Steak. This meal was my favorite. We were all exhausted from a very long day, and went to bed early. We had rafted 12 miles, plus hiked 4 miles. And the next morning, was going to be an early one.

Day 4

We woke up to our final breakfast. The fourth day was the hardest. We all were so exhausted. But after today, we were going home. I once again started the day off in a ducky. I duckied with Meagan. We hit one rapid they call Greasy Pliers rapid. This was a fun one, because there were some pretty big waves. We rafted about 5 miles, before hitting some major flat water. I mean, FLAT. This water was very dead and the mosquitoes were awful! Other than the mosquitoes, the trip for the next 5 miles was very calm. After the calm water, we drifted into Split Mountain. This was the final leg of our trip. Boohoo! At the beginning of Split Mountain, we stopped and scouted out a rapid called Moonshine. This rapid was unlike any other rapid we had encountered on the trip. This rapid actually looked like something you would see on the Arkansas River. There was a lot of water, and it was moving fast. Because I am a wimp, I decided not to ducky the rapid. I kind of regret that decision, because this rapid was very inviting. There were lots of big waves, which is exactly what I like.

But regardless, it was still fun in a raft. Shortly after, you hit a couple of more rapids, called S.O.B and Schoolboy. These rapids were very similar to Moonshine, just not near as big. But there were lots of big waves. We stopped for lunch. After lunch, we only had about 3 more miles to go, until the end of the trip. The crew re-inflated my ducky and I braved the last rapid of the trip, called Inglesby Rapid. It was fairly easy, but gave me just what I wanted…some waves! Two miles later, we were done with the trip. When we got to the boat ramp, there were a couple of vans waiting. The crew let us change into some dry clothes, and we were on our way back to Steamboat Springs.

My Analysis:

What an incredible experience. I went into the trip with low expectations and came out with many wonderful stories to tell. In fact, my family and co-workers are begging me to shut up about it, already. The trip was way more than I could have imagined. The experience was incredible. I was shocked that I could have so much fun, with people I had just met. I felt like I was in a different world. But I wasn’t. I was only 5 hours away from Denver. The crew was amazing. My lead guide’s name was Lynn Schuett. What an incredible guy. I couldn’t have asked for a better person. I felt very safe and trusted his judgment before heading through rapids. Not to mention, his personality was incredible. He fit in so well with everyone on the trip. There were three other guides on the trip; Clarice, Ian and Mike. They were so helpful and so much fun to be around. The guides made the trip so special for me. And lastly, the people on the trip were some of the best people I’ve met. Mike’s family made me feel like I was one of them. They were so much fun to be around, and I truly feel like I’ve made some lifetime friends. Already, I’ve recommended this trip to everyone I know and now I want to recommend it to everyone I don’t know, my devoted readers. This was such a great experience for me and I would love to see others go through it, too. There are plenty of trips still available trough September and there are even more options on the Colorado and Yampa Rivers. I hear those trips are fun, too.

Run: Ladore Canyon-4 Day Trip

Departure Dates: Call for Departure Dates, Plenty of space available through September

Guides: Lynn Schuett (Lead Guide), Mike, Clarice, Ian

Company: Adventure Bound USA

                    (800) 423-4668

                    www.raft-colorado.com

Price: Call for Prices

Good Morning Friends! Today I'll be posting my blog about my trip on the Green River that I did last week, so definitely look forward to that. It was the best trip I've been on so far. It was almost like a far-away vacation for me, except I wasn't that far away. Also, I will be posting a blog this week about a trip I took down the Eagle River. Anyhow, here's a look at today's flow numbers:

Arkansas Arkansas River Brown's Canyon III Salida, CO Arkansas Near Nathrop 2720 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Granite & Pine Creek IV+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 2600 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Pinnacle Rock III+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 3270 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Royal Gorge IV Canon City, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 3270 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Salida III Salida, CO Arkansas River At Salida 2570 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River The Numbers IV Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 2600 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Glenwood Play Park III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado River Below Glenwood Springs, Co. 10000 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Gore Canyon V- Kremmling, CO Colorado Near Kremmling 2850 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Grizzly to New Castle II+ Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 5650 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Shoshone III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 5650 cfs

Roaring Fork Roaring Fork River Slaughterhouse IV+ Aspen, CO Roaring Fork Below Maroon Ck 1630 cfs

South Platte Clear Creek Dumont IV Golden, CO Clear Creek Near Lawson 672 cfs

Because flows are starting to finally come down, I'll be getting in a few late-season runs soon(Gore Canyon, Cross Mountain, Pine Creek & The Numbers, The Royal Gorge).

Good morning, friends. I'm back from my trip on the Green River. Boy, did I have fun and I can't wait to tell you guys all about it. But until then, here's a look at today's flow numbers.

Arkansas Arkansas River Brown's Canyon III Salida, CO Arkansas Near Nathrop 3120 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Granite & Pine Creek IV+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 2900 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Pinnacle Rock III+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 3520 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Royal Gorge IV Canon City, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 3520 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Salida III Salida, CO Arkansas River At Salida 3000 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River The Numbers IV Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 2900 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Glenwood Play Park III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado River Below Glenwood Springs, Co. 11800 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Gore Canyon V- Kremmling, CO Colorado Near Kremmling 2890 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Grizzly to New Castle II+ Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 6570 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Shoshone III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 6570 cfs

Roaring Fork Roaring Fork River Slaughterhouse IV+ Aspen, CO Roaring Fork Below Maroon Ck 1670 cfs

South Platte Clear Creek Dumont IV Golden, CO Clear Creek Near Lawson 626 cfs

If you're planning on hitting some of the rivers this holiday weekend, please be careful. Oh, and one more thing, HAVE A BLAST!!!! I think I'll be testing out the Eagle River this weekend.

Hey Gang-Here are today's river flow numbers. Amen, the Gorge will be open to commercial rafting again! Woohoo!

Arkansas Arkansas River Brown's Canyon III Salida, CO Arkansas Near Nathrop 2860 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Granite & Pine Creek IV+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 2540 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Pinnacle Rock III+ Buena Vista, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 3290 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Royal Gorge IV Canon City, CO Arkansas At Parkdale 3290 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River Salida III Salida, CO Arkansas River At Salida 2750 cfs

Arkansas Arkansas River The Numbers IV Buena Vista, CO Arkansas Above Number 1 2540 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Glenwood Play Park III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado River Below Glenwood Springs, Co. 13600 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Gore Canyon V- Kremmling, CO Colorado Near Kremmling 2520 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Grizzly to New Castle II+ Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 7600 cfs

Colorado Colorado River Shoshone III Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Near Dotsero 7600 cfs

Roaring Fork Roaring Fork River Slaughterhouse IV+ Aspen, CO Roaring Fork Below Maroon Ck 2150 cfs

South Platte Clear Creek Dumont IV Golden, CO Clear Creek Near Lawson 736 cfs

Courtesy: www.mountainbuzz.com

I will be out of pocket through Thursday of next week. But I promise I will make up for it when I get back. I will be participating in a 4-day trip on the Green River. And then on Wednesday, I will be rafting the Royal Gorge. I will be back on Thursday. And then next weekend, I'm hoping to raft the Upper Animas. So look forward to some gret blogs, coming up!

Yesterday I went along with my friends at Clear Creek Rafting Company and rafted the Advanced section, a full day trip. First of all, holy crap! I did not know that this great of rafting was so close to Denver. That's awesome and that's totally my bad for not realizing that. Honestly, yesterday's run was one of my favorites this year. Clear Creek gave me everything I wanted in a trip; Big drops, long rapids and a great guide. What more could I ask for? And get this, Clear Creek even has a Class V section, a section that will get my adrenaline pumping far more than it was yesterday. I admit, I'm an adrenaline junkie. And I suggest any other adrenaline junkies to give this run a chance. Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures of the best stuff we rafted through, so you'll just have to take my word for it. Half of yesterday's run, I had already rafted before. It included the intermediate portion, which I had done twice already. Clear Creek was flowing at about 750-800cfs, which was a lot faster than my previous two times. And I loved it. Clear Creek is awesome at high levels.

Photo courtesy: www.rapidimagephoto.com

We put in, near Lawson. Within a few minutes of getting started, we were already rafting some Class IV rapids. They were called Meat & Beef and the Lumpies. Both had big holes and big splashes, which is exactly what I like. At that section, the creek wasn't too narrow. It was perfect. In the Lumpies, there was drop after drop. But at the same time, there was plenty of rest time between the drops. After these two sections, we were in the intermediate section, which was familiar territory for me. We went through Nomad & Fall River, which were both Class III rapids. Both of them are fairly easy with great paddlers, and very quick. You're done with it, before you even realize it. Phoenix, Deliverance & Outer Limits were pretty good rapids. Normally, Outer Limits is my favorite, but I think it was a little washed out. But going through Deliverance was pretty cool. It is great with high water, there were lots of big waves. After Outer Limits, we started making our way through Idaho Springs, and stopped for a quick lunch. Once we got back on the river, we rafted down the beginner's section. I really think this section would be great for families. It has some great views and it's pretty mellow most of the way through. There are some rapids, but nothing too big. But shortly after the beginner's section, it was time to get into the good stuff, the hardest rapids of the day. This, in fact, was the best part of my day. In this section, there are a lot of big rapids. Like I said earlier, I was totally shocked. I had no idea Clear Creek was capable of this.

Photo courtesy: www.rapidimagephoto.com

At the top of the lower advanced section, there are two big drops. They are called Upper Beaver and Lower Beaver. Upper Beaver totally kicked butt. We dropped about 9 feet or so. It was so much fun. When we hit, I even felt my butt come off the raft. The second drop was also pretty big, but nothing compared to the first one. Next, we went through Ejector. This was a pretty good rapid. But it was just getting us warmed up for what we were about to do; Double Knife, the biggest rapid of the day. It runs quickly into another big rapid, called Hell's Corner. This section is pretty intense. In fact, we were with two other rafts. Two people on one of the other rafts fell out at the top of Double Knife. Before going through this section, the guide said this is where you don't want to fall out. Thankfully, the two people did not float far, and were able to get back into the boat quickly. I loved this rapid, because it was non-stop paddling for almost a mile. This section is also pretty technical. You have to manuever the raft, to avoid some of the rocks. I am sure it is even more technical, when the water is lower. Some of the rocks that are normally showing, were under water. But this rapid is definitely what made the trip awesome. There were big holes, big drops, big waves, lots of paddling, and my adrenaline was flowing faster than the river. We made it through the toughest part of the day. But we weren't quite done just yet. We went through a couple of more Cla